Because I don't want things to escalate. . .

Took my usual shopping trips today and aside from spotting Gingerbread Marshmallows (which made my day and clearly came home with me), there were two incidents that pissed me off.

First, I was at Walgreens to pick my prescription refill up and was told that I couldn't take it I needed to wait. I had to wait for the pharmacist to talk to me AGAIN about the ExpressScripts scenario. REALLY!?!?! I have already heard about this and now I've got to wait 10 more minutes every time my prescriptions refilled? No thanks. I'm officially transferring my prescriptions now. Bye-Bye Walgreens.

I hit Ralph's next and had no problem, but then I went to Trader Joe's. I got my two items and headed to the two express lanes. Both had two ladies in each line, so I got behind a lady with a small rolling cart full of more than 15 items. The other line moved faster and just as the lady was going to be able to go to either line, so put her cart in the empty line and left. She went back into the store to find another item. One of the lines got empty and the cashier looked up.

Cashier: Is that your cart?

Me: No, it's some lady that went back to shop.

Cashier: Oh, well, I'm sorry. I gotta wait for her. I don't want things to escalate further.

Me: Giving pissed off look to cashier.


What the hell? I don't recall doing anything to "start" things to a point that would escalate it. Plus, what's this bullshit about being able to leave your cart in line whenever you want to dash for more shopping and I'm supposed to wait? The lady was gone a full 4 minutes before getting back to her cart. I think next time I'm at Trader Joe's, I'm just going to put an empty cart in line and then run around the store and put items in the cart until I'm at the front and it's my turn. I hope the cashier keeps my spot as to not risk escalating the situation among others.

I'm not a pawn in that game, Walgreens

I went to pick up my prescription at Walgreens the other day. It was a fun activity in the first place because I was standing behind two Eastern European hookers in line. I knew they were Eastern European because of their accents. I assumed they were hookers because of their clothing choices (tight pants that were ruched up the butt crack with a lace thong whale tail that was less than clean poking out) and because they asked the pharmacist for penicillin and female condoms.

When it was my turn, I got my prescription and was told that I needed to have a consult with the pharmacist. I was a a little confused as I was picking up a refill that I've had refilled so many times it seems like a hassle to even pick it up.  I waited for a few more minutes and then was told by the pharmacist that starting in 2012, Walgreens will "no longer be taking Express Scripts." Like the good healthcare consumer that I am, I said "What's Express Scripts?". It turns out it's the technical name for my insurance. Who'd have known? Clearly I didn't. Thought it was some kind of Walgreen's service or something.

Anyway, at this point, she told me that Walgreens and the insurance provider are having issues over something or another and if I wanted to do something, I could ask my HR department to change insurance. She then proceeded to ask me for my work email so that she could send me something I could forward on to my HR department. WHAT?!?!? Am I the only one who thinks it's crazy to ask a COMPANY of MANY people to change their INSURANCE plan so that I can keep going to Walgreens? Wouldn't the more sensible thing be to just take my prescriptions to the Rite Aid that I passed to get to the Walgreens? Or better yet, how about Walgreens and the insurance company to work out their differences without resorting to a siege of emails on our poor HR department?

Sorry, Walgreens. I'm not going to be a little pawn in that game. If you don't want to work something out, then it looks like Ralph's is becoming my one-stop shop.